December 16, 2008: The Commission unanimously adopted a fishing guide license system that will open up Maryland waters to Virginia charter boats for the first time in more than a decade, solving a longstanding complaint of many charter boat captains. A two-tiered guide license system was approved, one license open to all charter boats plying Virginia's saltwaters and the other limited in number but to be honored by Maryland as part of a reciprocal agreement that Maryland officials have tentatively accepted. The new licenses are to go on sale next week. <More Guides License Information> <MD/VA Reciprocity Agreement Amendment> <Original MD/VA Reciprocity agreement>

Charter boat permitting and other licensing requirements:

In addition to a US Coast Guard  license, the regular VA charter boat license, and the guides license referenced above, a charter boat captain may be required to obtain additional no-cost permits.  Such permits are usually set up to ensure that charter captains are aware of rules associated with special management programs for a species and to facilitate harvest reporting.  As of January 2003, the only additional permit being required for charter boat captains is for the striped bass fishery (see the striped bass regulation for specifics if you are interested in the legal requirement).

Charter boat captains are required to report to the Commission all daily quantities of striped bass caught and harvested, and daily fishing hours for themselves or their customers, respectively. Captains may report using the Charter Boat Online Reporting System or by manually submitting the following forms:

Charter Boat Harvest Reporting Form / Charter Boat Trophy Harvest Reporting Form (in PDF format; go to Forms for Word format).  For information on Charter Boat Permits  e-mail Bethany Eden or call (757) 247-2116. You must purchase your charter boat license before requesting a permit.

Reciprocal Recreational Saltwater Charter Fishing Licenses:

Chesapeake Bay and Seaside - Anglers with saltwater licenses from either Virginia or Maryland may fish in any portion of the Chesapeake Bay, or any of the saltwater reaches of its tributary rivers, as well as seaside bays and creeks and the Atlantic Ocean where a Virginia saltwater license is required. Virginia licenses honored include: 1) individual annual licenses; 2) individual temporary licenses; 3) private boat licenses covering all persons fishing on the boat; 4) annual licenses for charter boats, headboats, and partyboats; and 5) annual licenses for rental boats.

Potomac River - Anglers with saltwater licenses from either Virginia or the Potomac River Fisheries Commission may fish in any portion of the mainstem of the Potomac River to the lower border of D.C.. Virginia licenses honored include: 1) individual annual licenses; 2) individual temporary licenses; 3) private boat licenses covering all persons fishing on the boat; 4) annual licenses for charter boats, headboats, and partyboats; and 5) annual licenses for rental boats.

Virginia saltwater recreational licenses purchased for fishing in ocean waters are the same license used for Bay waters and have the same reciprocity described above.

For more information on reciprocity consult the DGIF web site or the PRFC web site.

Note that additional permits may be required while operating in federal waters.   Click here for federal permitting information.

Other links of interest to charter boat captains:

General fishing regulations for recreational hook and line fishermen (apply to hook and line fishermen on a charter boat )

Regulation prohibiting sale of recreational hook&line caught fish and requiring charter boat captains to report catch if requested by personnel authorized by the Commission to collect those statistics

Regulation prohibiting commercial hook&line fishing on charter boat carrying passengers that are recreationally fishing

Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament: Includes information on Citations, Rules of the Tournament, Weigh Stations, Current State Records, Plaque Winners, Fish Tagging Program, Handling and Releasing Fish, etc.

2001 Virginia Saltwater Angler's Guide (full color PDF guide of saltwater angling in VA)

Artificial Reef Program (text version or newer PDF version); click here for more recent data on reefs from our SWRFDF web site.

Saltwater Review (online fishing report May to October)

Saltwater Recreational Finfish Landings Statistics from NMFS

Federal Tuna Permit and Fishing Information

 Saltwater Angling and its Economic Importance to Virginia (VIMS report in PDF format; large file about 3Mb)

 U. S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Information

 Virginia Charter Boat Association